


Not Your Average Pizza

by mandykaysfic



Series: 40 fandoms in 40 days 2018 [2]
Category: Chalet School - Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
Genre: Gen, swiss era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 06:13:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13781448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandykaysfic/pseuds/mandykaysfic
Summary: Jo likes to experiment with pizza toppings.





	Not Your Average Pizza

"Interlaken!" exclaimed his parents, after he'd explained exactly where is was. "But why? Why would you open a branch of the family's pizzeria in Switzerland?"

The aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course, his grandmother had all protested vehemently, but Angelo remained firm. He was moving to Switzerland and _Mama Lina's_ would open with or without their approval. 

There were days when he wished he'd bowed down to Nonnina's wishes and stayed in Rome to manage the original _Mama Lina's_ , marry Josie and settle down to raise the next generation of Lombardis. When the bell tinkled and a familiar figure entered, he knew it was one of those days. He wondered what strange combination of toppings Frau Doktor Maynard would insist he bake on the pizza today. The finely minced beetroot with extra garlic had proved surprising palatable after he insisted on combining it with the traditional tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, but he could never call it a pizza, and it would never appear on _Mama Lina's_ menu. The ham spread, curry and red pepper combination on a thick base had been consigned to his rubbish bin; hers too, she confessed when she visited next. To this day, Angelo remained unable to explain how he'd agreed in the first instance to her request he make something other than his traditional family recipes. If anyone back home found out, he would be disowned.

" Signore Angelo!" Jo greeted Angelo enthusiastically and in the Italian she'd brushed up, asked after his family.

Once the pleasantries involving the doings of her family as well as his were out of the way, she switched to English.

"I think we should go back to a thin base for this one," announced Jo. "I've come prepared, as I'm guessing you won't have any of these on hand," and from her shopping bag she produce two jars and a something wrapped in a cloth.

One at a time, Angelo read the labels on the jars and held them up to the light to examine the contents. The first was imported Indian chutney, the second contained Anna's homemade orange marmalade. He unwrapped the cloth to find a lump of cream cheese.

"I thought you could make one with chutney on one half and marmalade on the other, as the cream cheese is the base for both of them."

"Frau Joey," as she insisted he address her, "I cannot do this. It is not pizza. This cream cheese, it is all wrong. Can you not place it on scones made by your Anna?"

"What's in a name? That which we call a pizza by any other name would taste as delicious," misquoted Jo. "I think it will make a delicious pizza. Just try it, for me," she wheedled. "I also wish to order a Margherita pizza."

"At last!" cried Angelo, forgetting in his excitement of hearing Frau Joey ask for a traditional Italian pizza, that she expected him to use the completely unacceptable cream cheese and finish it with those un-Italian spreads.

"With this sprinkled on top," she added firmly as she placed a paper bag on the bench next to the cheese.

Unsure of what he would find, Angelo opened the bag cautiously. It held maybe two tablespoonfuls of a reddish powder. About to sniff the contents in an effort to identify it, he prudently paused and enquired as to its composition.

"Ground peanuts and paprika pepper. I combined them myself. I think it will spice up the Margherita pizza in the most original fashion, don't you?"

Angelo groaned. "Please, Frau Joey--"

"I'll be back in twenty minutes to collect them, Angelo. Thank you." Jo hurried from the shop, briefly turning back to wave at Angelo and his assistant, who had just joined them in the shop after restocking the pantry.

"Tell me you're not going to put that on the Margherita," begged Marco. "It's sacrilege."

Angelo shrugged. "It's what she wants." He drew the bowl of prepared dough toward him and measured out the amount needed for the two bases.

"It could be worse," ventured Marco.

"Worse than the egg and lettuce pizza?" Neither man had liked that combination from three weeks ago. "That belonged in a sandwich if ever any of her creations did."

Marco frowned. "She could have suggested...sardines and...and...banana." 

"Urgh! That is much worse," agreed Angelo. "Now put that thought out of your head, and let us figure out how to deal with this cream cheese."

END

**Author's Note:**

> The pizza toppings are the sandwich fillings from 'Joey Goes to the Oberland'


End file.
